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Posted:29th Oct 2001Seems the first total fire ban of the season has been set already. The current one is in force on the Sydney Metropolitan district (amoungst others) from midnight Monday (29/10) to midnight Tuesday (30/10).With the beginning of the bushfire season this is going to happen all the more often. Would recommend bookmarking the Bureau of Meteorology's Warnings page and checking it before burns:http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/warnings.shtml[This message has been edited by emthren (edited 29 October 2001).]

Posted:29th Oct 2001*sigh* damn thats too soon.are they actually enforced much?like, if youre twirling on a beacj or something? (wonder coz i havent been twirling long enough to get through an aus. summer yet)

Posted:30th Oct 2001Local Council regulations apply in some areas, but generally if you are twirling below the high-tide line, and are at least 100m away from any buildings, you can twirl on QLD beaches whenever you like. Non-Https Image Link

Posted:30th Oct 2001We usually twirl on pavings int eh middle of the city in Canberra, although we had a gig on Saturday that the police came up to us and told us to move on. Apparently complaints about the grass catching alight. Most likely it was nightclub rivalry.

Posted:30th Oct 2001I twirl alot on the beaches of the Sunshine Coast but genrally make it the remote ones. To my immense disatisfaction last week we were asked to move on from moloolabah.. i was quite sad.The official looking party poopers informed us the only place we could legaly twirl is in our backyards... whats got me really stumped is.. well.. how can sand catch alight and cause mass distruction?!?!?!?jahvell zey vill neva stop me no!it would b cool to find out the actual council laws tho

Posted:14th Nov 2001I emailed the SA Metro Fire Service about fire twirling and got this - sorry bout the size of the post: Non-Https Image LinkWhen can this type of activity be performed?First if you are conducting your activity indoors in a place of public entertainment there should be a person trained in the use of a fire extinguishers usually a Fire Warden.The building owner must comply with the Australian Standard.(AS 3745. 1995 ).Fire Extinguisher training can be accessed in the yellow pages page 796If you are conducting your entertainment or demonstrations out doors you must comply with the Country Fire act 1989.During the fire danger season you must obtain a permit from your local council, that you are conducting such activities during a fire danger season.On page 69 & 71 of the Country Fires Act the permits are called a schedule 10 or a schedule 11 for total fire ban daysFurther advise can be obtained by contacting your nearest regional CFS Officer or visit the CFS web site when the fire danger season starts. www.cfs.org.au.You can also write to the, Country Fire Service Adelaide G PO box 2468 Adelaide, South Australia 5001 & ask for a copy of the booklet they produce called Your Survival & Regulations Guide.You can access SAMFS web site www.samfs.sa.gov.au for Home Fire Safety Information, Fire Safety Circulars, are a good guide refer to no 17.When your are conducting your fire twirling make sure you have a fire extinguishers close, ready to use and someone is trained in the use of the portable extinguisher.Make sure that there are no flammable materials close to your flames, for example the flammable liquid you use is stored in closed container and complies with Australian Standards. Also clear any loose & overhanging combustible material from your work area so that flames do not come in direct contact with combustibles, paper, clothes, etc . The general public should be warned to keep well back while you perform your act.Strong winds & sudden drafts of wind should also be considered as risk to your self & others together with the carrying of sparks to other combustible material in the immediate areaPaul Goreham Community Safety & Education Officer 82043735

Posted:14th Nov 2001Melbourne Updates?I get told off by:Cops @ street twirls coz 'it's illegal to have naked flames on street' - lateley @ Fringe festival....Shire/council securi-narcs @ beaches coz 'it's a $100 on the spot for naked flams/open beverages' - at TorquaySecurity Nazis @ festivals - At meredith, falls, earthcore, offshores - all but one - Confest! but that dun count cos it aint exactly Victorian =)PLS TELL us Victorians where we can b pyros without being molested by Nazis!!------------------In Australia, It is said that "Twirler with hand in pocket feel cocky all day." =P

Posted:14th Nov 2001Two words Bender.National Parks. Or even another two wordsRain forestBoth of these places are a little out of the way, but if you go with a group of friends for a coupla days it can be great.Just take a drive out to warburton, or somewhere similar (probably and hour from melbourne) and just spin to your hearts content.CheersAPB

Posted:14th Nov 2001if you want to twirl in victoria just find a park or school oval that you like and slowly bring more twirler to the place each week. that is how we have got the cops to sorta let us twirl at the 3 palm trees opp the arts center in the city. we are there nearly every friday night and the cops dont bother us anymore.the problem with festivals is that there are so many people and tents around so the organisers do wan't to get into trouble incase we accidently hurt or burn someone.naitonal parks are ok but when i go hiking and i take my twirling stuff the rangers say that you have to have a controled fire. so they don't like you using staff but i think you can get away with poi by saying it is attached to you. also when hiking satff is bloddy anoying to carry.***pete

Posted:15th Nov 2001when we were in Darwin we did a lot of busking @ Mindel Markets and other places with perfomance space butallthe time we were hasselled and told were needed Public Liability,...the Market owners had puplic liability but would still not let us play even if we paid to share their space,....i mean fair enough i know some twirling crews with Duck for Cover Insurance, but we were just a few individuals with Kero to burn, you know..we checked out Public Liability and it was gonna cost us a grand and a bit more to get covered, we didn't have that kinda money but even if we did we found out that no companies would insure us anyway...but, that was only a small cross section of the Insurance communuty, i mean there are companies out there obviously that willsupport you...phheew,...um and also in Byron, we were constantly hassled by police, and frequently abused because of the fire hazards...i don't think they understand really how well we know how to control our fire..there is an understandinding of the element when you work with it...hhmmm, one day the laws might change, but in the mean time we just have to keep taking chances to spread our light, yeah?love hols

Posted:15th Nov 2001The "only" major problem I see with twirling anything in National parks and rainforests is the whole environmental impact thing. I mean these are the last few places left that are relatively undisturbed in the whole subject of humans leaving their chemical waste in their wake. They're filled with 293874293487s of animals a lot of which are small and would certainly die if hit by kerosene droplets. I would sincerely hope that if anyone's considering twirling in one... that... welll..we shouldn't. I can't think of enough safety precautions that are 100% failsafe on the ground...let alone everywhere else. I sincerely recommend saving the twirling for more open spots.Just MHO of course... but it really surprised me to see the original comment.

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.- B.B.King

Posted:15th Nov 2001I would agree with the idea of leaving twirling to more open spaces, rather than national parks. Ovals sound good. The beach sounds like fun.Not to mention, the majority of bush fires do happen in national parks, so it would be a little naive to think you could twirl there in the middle of summer.

Posted:17th Nov 2001earthdreamer : just cause they have public liability, doesnt mean that cause you are twirling in their space you are covered. Most of them dont cover "audience" participation and if you arent listed on the policy then you arent covered. Which in my mind is fair enough, we were not even allowed to twirl at the Arts factory with fire in byron for same reasons....The chances of something happening are minimum, but they cant take the risk. Same as with twirling in a high fire hazard area, all it takes is the sun beating down on leaves, could u imagine how much easier that fire could spread from having kero or fuel on the ground as well!I think that in order to prove to the authorities that we are all safety concious, we need to abide by the rules. May be harsh, but i dont want to be the course of the next bush fire that wipes out peoples homes.

- Industrial design knows of no article more useful than the milk crate -

Posted:17th Nov 2001I agree with Splat. sensitive threatened natural environments are the last place we should be twirling. I've always thought that doofs were a little in the grey area too...but as long as they are held in clearings (and not in stomped down undergrowth) I think it's acceptable (as long as the same areas arent used over and over. Sure, ppl want to get down with the nature thing, but if they knew they were killing wildlife? Also - if you hike into a forest in summer, and start a fire that you cant put out, you are dead. you cant outhike a bush-fire.Beach is cool - but I dont like sinking into the sand. My favourite is lawn. and thankfully, I couldnt give a rats ass about imported lawn Non-Https Image LinkJosh